De-bunking the myths of English Cookery
One delicious recipe at a time

Recipes that are delicious and that always work!

You know these recipes are delicious because if I didn't think that they were fabulous . . . I wouldn't be showing them to you. You can also be sure that these recipes work for the same reason! The rest is simply a matter of taste.

Butter, Sugar, Eggs and Such . . .

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Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

Make Your Own Baking Powder:You can make your own baking powder by combining 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar. It's ideal for coeliac sufferers who can't find the gluten-free variety of this raising agent, but measure it out carefully because too much or too little can upset a recipe's balance.

Make Your Own Mixed Spice:You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning: Mix together 2 1/2 TBS of salt, 1 TBS dried oregano leaves (Rub to a powder using your fingertips), 1 TBS sweet paprika, 1 TBS cayenne pepper, and 1 TBS ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to six months.Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice: Mix together 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground mace or ground cardamom. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Welcome to my English Kitchen. I moved over here to England from Canada in the year 2000. Before I arrived, I was told that the cooking and food over here was awful, except for the Roast Beef and the Fish and Chips. I had no idea of what to expect, but it didn't sound good.
I landed at Heathrow with a bulging suitcase full of kitchen tools, handwritten recipes and a 4 litre can of Maple Syrup, totally prepared to be greeted with the worst.
I am happy to say that over the past 14 years I have discovered that most of what I had heard was totally and completelywrong!
Here in the UK we have some of the best poultry, meats, fishes, ingredients and produce in the world, and some of the most innovative chefs. I have learned so much about cooking in the past twelve years, and I've enjoyed trying and experiencing many new things, thankfully most of them wonderfully delicious!
I love English food . . . both the traditional, and the wonderful blend that is modern British Cuisine . . . a delicious mixture of a variety of tastes and cultures.
I hope you'll come along with me as I explore all the wonderful tastes, sights and textures that England has to offer even the most discerning of palates.

Marie Rayner cooks and writes from a little terraced house where she lives with her man the Toddster, and their little pup Mitzie.

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

What to eat now!

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A lot of you have suggested that I write a cookbook. The good news is I already have. Recipes From The Big Blue Binder. A delicious sampling of all my tried and trues, and family favourites gleaned from a lifetime of love and good cookin'! Find such favourites asBanana Granola Pancakes, Mom's Split Pea Soup, Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza, and Grammy Woodworth's Blueberry Buckleto name but a few. 178 pages of delicious recipes and beautiful colour pictures, available as a lovely book or as a download. You can click on the book to go to my storefront to purchase. If you already own it, please feel free to leave feedback on my Lulu page. Thanks so much!

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Saturday, 6 February 2010

One of the things we loved best about Roast Dinners when I was growing up was . . . that we knew there would be a lovely pot pie waiting at the end of it all . . . kind of like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow . . . sure you love that rainbow, but it's the pot of gold that always gets you in the end . . .

It was a sure thing if we had had a roast beef dinner, or chicken, or turkey . . . after my mother had served it up once the day of the roast, a second time sliced cold with some vegetables, a third time possibly as a soup or a hash . . . the rest would get made into a pot pie.

Oh how we loved her pot pies. Her crust was fabulously rich and flakey, the insides thick and chock full of vegetables, bits of meat and tasty gravy . . . I suppose it was a great way of making a little bit of meat go a long way . . .

Even now if we go to visit she is sure to break one of her pot pies out of the freezer as a real treat. Once, when I was about 13, she had to go away for the weekend. She had left a pot pie for me to heat up along with some oven chips and vegetables for our Saturday night supper. To this day I still get accused of taking the largest piece for myself . . . and truth is, I probably did!!!

You don't really need any leftover meat to make a delicious pot pie though . . . I make a rather tasty one using rich and moist chicken thighs, which are just loaded with flavour. Cheap and easy, this always goes down a real treat with anyone I serve it to . . .

It doesn't taste cheap and easy. It's wonderfully rich and comforting. Good eats all round. I like to serve it with some tasty mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side. One trick for making really tasty mash is to whip some herb and garlic boursin cheese into them. Oh yummo! Probably not too good for the waistline . . . but sometimes you just got to do what you just got to do . . .

Pot pies are very popular in my house. Normally I use leftover roast, but today I decided to use some chicken thighs I had on hand. Delicious comfort food that is not only economical but very easy and quick to throw together.

Trim the chicken, discarding any fat. Cut into small cubes. Toss with the flour. Add the oil to a large skillet. Heat over medium heat. Add the floured chicken and brown, stirring until it is cooked all the way through, and no pink remains. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook, slowly, stirring from time to time until almost tender. Crumble the stock cubes over all and stir in the hot water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the peas and parsley. Place into a pie dish. Top with the puff pastry. Crimp the edges and vent. Brush with some beaten egg yolk.

Pre-heat the oven to 205*C/425*F. Place pie on a baking tray and bake in the heated oven for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and browned.

Serve hot with some mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your own choosing. Delicious!

When my Mum first visited the US in 1975 she returned with the recipe for Chicken Pot Pie, it had a biscuit topping rather than pastry, but I have to say we loved it! Haven't made it for ages, but you have inspired me to have another go at it.

Oh I do love Pot Pie and I ma going to make this. I haven't been really good about doing a recipe each week...does one count? That lovely lemon chicken! Yum! But I am going to make this this coming week.

Marie, how excited am I to have come across your Blog. I am Brit living in Boston, MA. Each year on Boxing Day I celebrate with an anuual dinner. This year I am serving my American friends a full on dinner menu of British Fare! I always remembered my mum's chicken pot pie and came across your recipe. It is going to be added to my menu. Any other fabulous English dish thoughts would be great????

Such a beautiful website... thank you so much for taking the time to do so much for others like me. I'm from Oxford in England, now living in Northern Vermont... it's peaceful here and we have lots of snow and blue skies!I've been reading your site and love your recipes, my Mum and Nanna would be quite impressed with all you have done! You have a way with words... it's just lovely. :)Well done and... cheers! Regards, Debra.

P.s. By the way... our daughter is making your Chicken Pie recipe right now as I write this... we're all looking forward to dinner this evening. :)

Due to increased interest, I have decided to offer my illustrated cookbooklets on a permanent basis. At present there are five on offer, but I will be adding to them from time to time so do check back often. You can find them all by clicking on the COOKBOOKLET heading above. I think you will find that they are good value for money spent and they make delightful and economical gifts for your friends and family. Thanks so much for looking!

They are titled: A Very Royal Tea Party, The Great British Picnic, Christmas in The English Kitchen, Recipes to Keep, and Spring into Summer.

All are recipes that you will not find on my blog anywhere.

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I can't pretend to know everything, but I more than welcome your questions and suggestions. Feel free to e-mail me on MarieAliceJoan at aol dot com and I'll endeavour to find out the answers to your most burning questions. Maybe we can learn together!